Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 402 - 401. Reap what you sow

401. Self-inflicted

Ye Li could swear that she indeed found Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli, both of whom had obviously planned to take advantage of chaotic situations, intolerable lately. However, she had never thought of dealing with them in this way. As she entered the guest courtyard and saw the messy scene, her temples started to throb. "Get the Emperor of Great Chu out of here, quickly!" Ye Li hurriedly shouted, upon seeing Mo Jingli nearly at his last breath from Lei Zhenting’s beating. If they were elsewhere, she wouldn’t care if Lei Zhenting beat Mo Jingli to death. However, she couldn’t allow Mo Jingli to die like this within Prince Ding’s Mansion.

Feng Zhiyao looked up at the sky. "Princess Consort, we can’t stop the Southern Garrison Prince." Lei Zhenting is one of the Four Great Experts, despite having lost one hand. Wouldn’t going up against him be asking for a beating? And for Mo Jingli, of all people? Absolutely not.

"Princess Consort Ding, if an accident befalls His Majesty in Prince Ding’s Mansion..." The people Mo Jingli had brought anxiously chimed in. After all, the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling was too formidable. Worse yet, the Emperor had suddenly become... afflicted, and of all people to target, he went straight for the Southern Garrison Prince.

Han Mingyue raised an eyebrow and said with a composed smile, "Are you threatening Prince Ding’s Mansion? If the Southern Garrison Prince wants to fight with the Emperor of Great Chu, it’s none of our concern." Seeing the other party dumbfounded and flushed red with embarrassment, Han Mingyue casually added, "However... as the Emperor of Great Chu is a guest, Prince Ding’s Mansion will certainly ensure his safety." The man looked at Mo Jingli, whose face was disfigured from the assault, and was speechless. If this is what ensuring safety looks like, he’d rather not be safe.

"Southern Garrison Prince, the Emperor of Great Chu is, after all, a sovereign ruler. Besides... this is still the property of Prince Ding’s Mansion." Ye Li stepped forward and frowned slightly, addressing them with a hint of annoyance, "If you two are here to pay respects to the late Prince, I am more than welcoming. However, if you have personal grudges, please leave Feihong Pass to settle them." Lei Zhenting certainly wouldn’t kill Mo Jingli. Killing Mo Jingli now would be doing Prince Ding’s Mansion a great favor. Upon hearing Ye Li’s words, Lei Zhenting snorted coldly, his face stern as he stopped his assault. Unexpectedly, just as he stopped, Mo Jingli, who had seemed on the verge of death, suddenly revived and latched onto Lei Zhenting again. Lei Zhenting’s face stiffened, and he kicked Mo Jingli away.

"Don’t go... don’t go..." Mo Jingli moaned as he was kicked aside, muttering in a low voice. Everyone present had excellent hearing and clearly heard his words. They looked awkwardly at Lei Zhenting, whose face had darkened considerably. After a long moment, Feng Zhiyao came back to his senses, whispering to himself, "So the Emperor of Great Chu cherishes the Southern Garrison Prince so deeply. No wonder..."

"Third Feng!" Lei Zhenting, full of pent-up rage with nowhere to vent it, glanced at Feng Zhiyao. Without a second word, he swung a palm at him. Feng Zhiyao hurriedly retreated as Han Mingyue, on the other side, simultaneously launched an attack at Lei Zhenting. Feng Zhiyao barely managed to dodge the palm strike in time.

"Southern Garrison Prince," Ye Li said, her voice grave with displeasure. "Southern Garrison Prince, this is Feihong Pass. This consort hopes you will conduct yourself with dignity." Lei Zhenting took a deep breath, knowing he couldn’t do anything to Feng Zhiyao here. However, the stares of everyone present were becoming unbearable. Lei Zhenting had weathered many storms in his life, including defeats, but he had never felt as humiliated as he did now. Glaring resentfully at Mo Jingli, who was being restrained by an attendant, Lei Zhenting said through gritted teeth, "I have important military matters to attend to. I shall take my leave first."

Ye Li didn’t press him to stay. As for the peace talks Lei Zhenting had mentioned earlier, neither of them had truly taken it to heart. She nodded and said, "In that case, this consort won’t keep you any longer, Southern Garrison Prince. Second Leng, please see the Southern Garrison Prince out." Among those present, aside from Han Mingyue, only Leng Haoyu was reliable enough. Han Mingyue held no official position in the Mansion, so it was inappropriate for him to escort a guest. If Feng Zhiyao or Han Mingxi were to do it, they would likely infuriate Lei Zhenting again within three sentences.

Leng Haoyu nodded. "Southern Garrison Prince, please."

Lei Zhenting, his face livid, flicked his sleeves and stormed off.

Meanwhile, Mo Jingli was still struggling against his attendants’ restraints. Ye Li couldn’t bear to watch the disgraceful spectacle any longer and merely instructed, "Take His Majesty back to his room to rest. Do you require a physician?"

The attendants around Mo Jingli looked at him hesitantly. Any discerning person could understand Mo Jingli’s current condition. "Thank you, Princess Consort. No... it’s not necessary. We have our own imperial physicians."

Ye Li didn’t probe further, only warning, "Please treat the people in my mansion with due consideration."

"We understand," they replied. Princess Consort Ding is warning them not to cause trouble with the maidservants in the General’s Mansion. They had brought numerous maidservants with them and certainly didn’t want to antagonize Princess Consort Ding over a few girls. This was, after all, Prince Ding’s Mansion. So they readily agreed.

As Mo Jingli’s entourage carried him away, Feng Zhiyao and the others finally burst into laughter. Ye Li shook her head helplessly. Mo Xiaobao’s prank this time had truly backfired, an innocent practical joke leading to such an unexpected outcome.

Feng Zhiyao twirled his folding fan, his smile full of mirth. "It’s truly unexpected that the Emperor of Great Chu holds the Southern Garrison Prince in such... high regard. It could truly be called a profound ’cut-sleeve’ love." Everyone rolled their eyes in unison. Feng Zhiyao was determined to pin this on Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli, no matter what.

"Be careful, Lei Zhenting might send assassins after you," Han Mingxi warned. Joking is one thing, but playing with fire and getting burned is another.

Feng Zhiyao, with an air of nonchalance, replied, "Unless he comes personally, what do I have to fear? Besides, he won’t have the time for that any time soon. More importantly, if he really tries to kill me over this, wouldn’t that just prove... my suspicions are true, and that’s why he wants to silence me?"

And so, that day, a rumor spread like wildfire fanned by the wind, quickly blanketing all of Feihong Pass and rapidly disseminating in all directions.

It started like this: "Have you heard? The Emperor of Great Chu accidentally offended the Southern Garrison Prince and got beaten up."

Then it became: "Have you heard? The Emperor of Great Chu is secretly in love with the Southern Garrison Prince, couldn’t control himself, offended him, and got beaten up badly."

And then: "It’s said the Emperor of Great Chu intended to... you know... and was beaten up by the Southern Garrison Prince."

Followed by: "Rumor has it the Emperor of Great Chu and the Southern Garrison Prince are mutually infatuated, couldn’t resist... and then the Emperor got beaten up by the Southern Garrison Prince."

Finally, it was simply: "They say the Emperor of Great Chu was beaten up by the Southern Garrison Prince."

"Why?"

"What do you think? You’re so out of the loop."

"Ah? Could it be because...?"

"Absolutely!"

Thus, by the time Mo Jingli regained his senses the next day, the rumors had already swept through every corner of Feihong Pass, inside and out. Recalling his actions from the previous day, Mo Jingli was overwhelmed with shame and fury, yet he was powerless to do anything about it.

「The next morning」

Ye Li sat in the garden pavilion, sipping tea. She wore a simple white dress, her hair casually tied up without any ornaments, and her fair, beautiful face was devoid of makeup. In the faint morning mist, she exuded an air of melancholy and despondency.

This was the ethereally beautiful scene that greeted Mo Jingli as he stood outside the pavilion, momentarily lost in thought. Given his vanity, Mo Jingli, with his face still bruised and swollen from yesterday’s beating, would normally never have shown himself. However, he didn’t have the luxury of waiting for his injuries to heal before appearing in public. So, early that morning, he had to endure the peculiar stares of everyone in the General’s Mansion to come and see Ye Li.

"Princess Consort, the Emperor of Great Chu has arrived," Qin Feng whispered as he entered the pavilion. Ye Li nodded. "Please invite the Emperor of Great Chu in."

Qin Feng turned to invite Mo Jingli in, but he himself did not withdraw. Instead, he stood inside the pavilion, less than three paces from Ye Li, his gaze fixed on Mo Jingli, openly displaying warning and vigilance.

Mo Jingli’s expression darkened, though it was somewhat obscured by the injuries on his face. Ye Li and Qin Feng only saw his face twitch strangely. Ye Li lifted her teacup to her lips, concealing the twitch at the corner of her mouth and her amusement, and asked in a low voice, "Are the Emperor of Great Chu’s injuries severe?"

"Not. At. All!" Mo Jingli ground out, clenching his teeth. Although he hadn’t felt much at the time of the incident, recalling it afterward, he remembered everything with excruciating clarity. The thought of himself pouncing on an old man like someone starved of affection made Mo Jingli’s stomach churn, and the breakfast he had eaten that morning threatened to come back up. In fact, he had already vomited violently when he woke up in the middle of the previous night.

Mo Jingli knew he had definitely been schemed against, but neither he nor the accompanying imperial physician could figure out how. Other than being bitten by Mo Xiaobao, Mo Jingli had hardly come within two steps of anyone not from his own retinue all day. Even the tea and snacks he consumed were rigorously inspected. Therefore, no matter how hard he racked his brain, Mo Jingli couldn’t fathom how he had fallen into the trap.

Ye Li nodded. "It’s good that you’re alright. The Southern Garrison Prince was indeed overly impulsive. He already departed from Feihong Pass yesterday afternoon." So, if you want to settle scores, go find Lei Zhenting yourself.

Mo Jingli was certain he didn’t want to see Lei Zhenting again for at least the rest of the year, not only because the thought made him nauseous but also because of the harm Lei Zhenting had inflicted.

"I came to see you," Mo Jingli said, staring at Ye Li.

Ye Li nodded. "Emperor of Great Chu, please speak your mind."

Mo Jingli glanced at Qin Feng standing nearby and frowned. "You may leave first." Qin Feng paid him no heed, merely giving him a cool glance. Mo Jingli, strangely enough, understood the meaning conveyed by Qin Feng’s eyes. You even pounce on men; who knows what you might try with our Princess Consort?

At this, a vein throbbed on Mo Jingli’s temple. Seeing that Ye Li had no intention of dismissing Qin Feng, he suppressed his anger and said, "I have important matters to discuss with you." Ye Li smiled. "Emperor of Great Chu, please proceed."

"If you and Prince Ding’s Mansion submit to Great Chu, I promise, Mo Yuchen will remain the hereditary Prince Ding," Mo Jingli stated matter-of-factly, his lofty tone laced with a hint of condescension. However, what should have been an imposing declaration was rendered somewhat comical by his current appearance.

Ye Li shot him a speechless glance and said calmly, "If this consort isn’t mistaken, the Emperor of Great Chu should have already reached an agreement with the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling, correct?"

Mo Jingli scoffed dismissively. "If Lei Zhenting can trick me, am I obligated to honor the agreement? Ye Li, as long as you lead Prince Ding’s Mansion to submit to Great Chu, I guarantee I will not treat you unfairly."

"And how does the Emperor of Great Chu plan not to treat this consort unfairly?" Ye Li asked, raising an eyebrow. Is Mo Jingli really that brainless? Does he truly believe that if she just says she’ll submit to Great Chu, the entire Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army will obediently follow suit?

Assuming Ye Li was tempted, Mo Jingli smiled with satisfaction, full of confidence. "I can make you Empress. Ye Li, you should know that appointing a woman who has already been married as Empress is unprecedented in all past dynasties. This is sufficient proof of my sincerity."

Ye Li lowered her gaze, remaining silent in contemplation.

Mo Jingli wasn’t anxious; such matters naturally required careful consideration. And he was absolutely confident that Ye Li would agree. Mo Xiuyao is dead. No matter how capable Ye Li is, she’s still just a woman. Without a man to support her, she’s nothing.

After a long while, Ye Li said calmly, "This consort needs time to consider."

Mo Jingli nodded. "Very well, I shall await your reply."

Ye Li nodded and left with Qin Feng.

In the garden, Qin Feng walked beside Ye Li and asked, puzzled, "Princess Consort, are you truly considering this?"

Ye Li nodded. "Naturally, I need to consider... how to deal with Mo Jingli."

"What does the Princess Consort intend to do?" Qin Feng asked curiously.

Ye Li thought for a moment, then said lightly, "Throw him out."

Watching Ye Li stroll away, Qin Feng blinked and snapped his fingers. Four Qilin appeared before him. Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Did you understand the Princess Consort’s words?"

"What did the Princess Consort mean?"

Qin Feng smiled. "Exactly what she said. Throw. Him. Out."

「A quarter of an hour later」

A man in imperial robes, his face so bruised and swollen he was almost unrecognizable, was thrown from the city wall of Feihong Pass.

On the city tower, Feng Zhiyao, who was engaged in a game of chess, shook his head regretfully. "The Qilin are getting increasingly incompetent; they can’t even throw a person properly." If it were me, I would have hit his acupoints and thrown him down headfirst. That would guarantee Mo Jingli’s face would never again be capable of such a high-difficulty thing as expression.

Han Mingyue chuckled. "There are people below."

And indeed, below them, the large contingent of guards Mo Jingli had brought was stationed outside the city. How could they possibly let Mo Jingli fall to his death? The Qilin had clearly thrown him with great precision. Even though three imperial bodyguards leaped up simultaneously to catch Mo Jingli, he still paid the price of a fractured right hand. If it had been a little more severe, he could have been permanently paralyzed on his right side.

"Ye Li?! I will not let you get away with this!" Outside the city, Mo Jingli roared in fury.

WHOOSH! A chess piece shot down from the city tower, heading straight for Mo Jingli’s wide-open mouth. The guards, who had been cautiously alert, were startled by the Emperor’s sudden roar and failed to intercept the projectile in time. Han Mingyue elegantly wiped his hand with a handkerchief. "Mo Jingli has become increasingly boorish since becoming emperor."

"Young Master Mingyue has excellent technique," Feng Zhiyao praised with a broad smile. The two exchanged a knowing look, watching Mo Jingli below, cursing and swearing as he disappeared in a cloud of dust.

「On a mountain path somewhere on the road from Great Chu to Xiling」

Ling Tiehan and his two companions rode leisurely on their fine steeds. Although the King of Hell Pavilion had suffered heavy losses this time, it wasn’t a matter of great importance to Ling Tiehan, who already harbored thoughts of retirement. If it were still active, who would take charge of the King of Hell Pavilion in the future would be a significant problem. After all, an assassin organization is different from others; appointing the wrong person could lead to immense trouble.

While joking with his two younger siblings, Ling Tiehan suddenly frowned. Before Leng Liyue or the Sick Scholar could speak, Ling Tiehan said in a grave voice, "You two, fall back." Although his two younger siblings didn’t understand their Eldest Brother’s meaning, seeing his solemn expression, they obediently guided their horses to the side.

"Prince Ding, since you are here, why not show yourself?" Ling Tiehan called out loudly.

Leng Liyue and the Sick Scholar, watching from a short distance, were both startled. Throughout their journey, the news of Prince Ding’s death had already spread throughout the lands. Yet their Eldest Brother...

Just as they were worrying, a figure in white appeared on a small knoll along the mountain path. His white robes were like snow, his white hair like frost. Mo Xiuyao held the Annihilation Sword, his expression indifferent as he stared down at Ling Tiehan on horseback below. He seemed not at all surprised that Ling Tiehan knew he was not dead.

Ling Tiehan sighed, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Prince Ding, please."

Mo Xiuyao dispensed with pleasantries. A cold glint of light tore through the sky as the Annihilation Sword was instantly unsheathed, unleashing an overwhelming wave of killing intent that pressed down towards Ling Tiehan. Ling Tiehan slapped his steed, leaping into the air. Simultaneously, the iron sword in his hand was also drawn, and a powerful slash of sword energy shot towards Mo Xiuyao. The impact of the two clashing sword energies forced both men to retreat more than ten steps before they regained their footing. However, the trees in the path of the sword energies were cleanly sheared through.

CLANG! With a crisp sound, the iron sword in Ling Tiehan’s hand shattered. Ling Tiehan’s sword was a one-in-a-thousand weapon, but it was still far inferior to a legendary blade like the one Mo Xiuyao wielded. Thus, it was no surprise that it broke into several pieces upon impact. Mo Xiuyao usually disdained bullying others with superior weaponry, but this time, he seemed utterly unconcerned. It was as if even if Ling Tiehan were bare-handed, he would still strike with the Annihilation Sword. This made Ling Tiehan understand the sheer intensity of Mo Xiuyao’s fury over his attack on Ye Li.

"Eldest Brother!" Leng Liyue cried out, unable to stop herself. She raised her hand, intending to throw her own weapon to him. Leng Liyue specialized in hidden weapons and was not particularly skilled with swords. Precisely because of this, Ling Tiehan had equipped his two younger siblings with superior weapons. The sword Leng Liyue carried was far better than the one Ling Tiehan himself used. However, even the finest sword would be futile against the Annihilation Sword, so Ling Tiehan waved his hand, refusing Leng Liyue’s offered blade.

Mo Xiuyao pointed his sword at Ling Tiehan and said calmly, "I have always regarded Pavilion Master Ling as a rare opponent, never as someone to be killed. Making an exception today, I will surely regret it deeply."

Ling Tiehan gave a helpless, wry smile. "I, too, never imagined a life-and-death confrontation with Prince Ding. However, many things in this world are simply unavoidable." Mo Xiuyao snorted, wasting no more words. The Annihilation Sword in his hand flashed with a chilling light as he lunged towards Ling Tiehan. He didn’t want to hear any excuses, any talk of inevitability. To Mo Xiuyao, anyone who dared to harm Ah-Li deserved to die. There were no reasons, no rights or wrongs.

On the mountain path, the two figures quickly engaged in a fierce battle. With Leng Liyue’s and the Sick Scholar’s level of martial skill, they could at best discern two blurred phantoms darting through the air, surrounded by an almost suffocating killing intent. Intermittent blasts of sword energy pulverized everything they touched. Leng Liyue anxiously gripped the Sick Scholar’s wrist, her eyes fixed on the spot they were destined not to see clearly. The Sick Scholar was faring no better. His old ailment had long since healed, but just now, the intense, suffocating killing intent made him want to cough again.

"Eldest Brother?!" Just as the two were beside themselves with worry, Ling Tiehan’s voice suddenly seemed to fall from the air. The Sick Scholar immediately leaped up, catching Ling Tiehan’s descending body. Leng Liyue gritted her teeth, drew her sword, and charged towards Mo Xiuyao.

"Second Sister, stop!" Ling Tiehan cried out urgently. "Prince Ding, show mercy!"

CLANG! Only half of Leng Liyue’s treasured sword remained. Mo Xiuyao flicked his hand, and the broken tip of her sword shot towards her. Leng Liyue stumbled backward repeatedly, finally collapsing to the ground. The sword tip grazed her cheek and embedded itself in a tree behind her. Sitting on the ground, Leng Liyue was drenched in a cold sweat. Just now, she had clearly felt the icy chill from the blade as it skimmed past her face.

Mo Xiuyao looked down upon them, his gaze as cold and merciless as that of a celestial deity. "Overconfident."

Leng Liyue glared defiantly at Mo Xiuyao and retorted sharply, "My Eldest Brother did not kill Princess Consort Ding! For Prince Ding to act in such a manner is excessive!"

Mo Xiuyao sneered. "He *failed* to kill her. If Ah-Li suffered even the slightest injury, I would have chopped everyone in your King of Hell Pavilion into pieces and fed them to the dogs!"

Perhaps angered by Mo Xiuyao’s dismissive attitude, as if looking at ants, Leng Liyue also forgot her earlier fear and sneered, "If my Eldest Brother truly wanted to kill Ye Li, do you think she would still be alive now?" The King of Hell Pavilion is an organization of assassins, and Ling Tiehan is an unparalleled assassin. If he truly intended to kill Ye Li, how could she have possibly escaped? Even if it was to avoid offending Prince Ding’s Mansion, Ling Tiehan had clearly shown mercy.

"Liyue," Ling Tiehan frowned and said in a deep voice.

Leng Liyue reluctantly held her tongue. Ling Tiehan slowly rose; the brief pause had allowed him to regulate his breathing. Although he was severely injured, he was not entirely without the strength to fight back. Ling Tiehan looked at Mo Xiuyao. "Prince Ding, I still have some matters to attend to. Presumably, Your Highness also has urgent affairs. Once my business is concluded, I will naturally give Prince Ding an explanation. At that time, we can decide matters of life and death. How about it? Besides... Prince Ding is not entirely unscathed right now, is he? If I were to fight with all my strength, can Prince Ding guarantee he would escape unharmed?"

Mo Xiuyao remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Very well. In three months, I will seek out Pavilion Master Ling again."

Ling Tiehan nodded. "I shall await you at any time. Farewell."

Mo Xiuyao said no more. Ling Tiehan, with Leng Liyue and the Sick Scholar, remounted their horses and rode off.

"Your Highness," a guard in black appeared before Mo Xiuyao and called out in a low voice.

"It’s nothing," Mo Xiuyao said calmly. He raised his hand and casually wiped his lips, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.